Vegan Apple Cider Donuts

These sweet fall-flavored Vegan Apple Cider Donuts are SO scrumptious! Baked to perfection, they’re soft and fluffy with warm apple flavors throughout. It’s like eating an apple pie or apple crisp in donut-form! The ingredients in this donut recipe are very straight forward. The only special item you need is a donut pan! This tool will form and shape perfect donuts every time. Enjoy these vegan apple donuts all year long or try my cinnamon sugar donuts instead.

Ingredients needed (with substitutions)

Whole wheat pastry flour – All purpose flour or a gluten free mix also work well! Granulated sugar – Or try coconut sugar. Baking powder – To fluff up the donuts! Salt Ground cinnamon – For delicious fall flavors. Feel free to add in nutmeg, ginger, or cardamom as well. Apple cider – Try to use quality organic apple cider if possible for the best flavor. Soy milk – Or use almond, hemp, or coconut milk. Applesauce – Unsweetened is best, or you can use apple butter instead. It can also be substituted for an extra 3 tablespoons of melted vegan butter. Vegan butter – If you don’t have any butter at home, make your own or use coconut oil instead.

How to make vegan apple cider donuts

Turn them into muffins

If you don’t have a donut pan, you can make these in a regular muffin pan. Make the apple cider muffins the same way, except spoon the dough ¾ of the way into a greased muffin tin instead. Bake them for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Can they be made gluten free?

Yes! Just swap the whole wheat pastry flour for a gluten free mix instead. Oat flour might work as well, but I haven’t tested it.

Can they be made without oil?

The vegan donuts can be made without oil by swapping the coconut oil/vegan butter for applesauce. When the donuts are done baking, don’t brush them with melted butter or oil and dip them in the sugar coating while they’re still warm. It will still stick to the donut very well.

Helpful recipe tips

If your soy milk is cold, warm it in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute. You don’t want it to be cold or else it will harden the coconut oil in the batter. A piping bag with a large tip will come in handy to pipe the dough evenly into each donut cavity. Or just spoon it in. If a cinnamon sugar topping isn’t your thing, make a simple vanilla sugar glaze like in my Glazed Chocolate Donut recipe.

How to store leftover donuts

The donuts are best served right away, or at least the same day, because the butter or coconut oil will soak into the pastry and soften the outside. If you have leftovers, keep them in an airtight container for up to 2 days. You can also freeze the plain baked donuts for up to 1 month by placing them in a plastic bag or sealed container. Leave them to defrost in the fridge or room temperature for a few hours.